Cell type information sharing between neighbor base stations

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for cell type information sharing between neighbor base stations in a telecommunications system. One embodiment comprises informing a second radio base station serving a second cell and having a neighbor relation with a first cell served by a first base station, of at least the cell type of the first cell. This is accomplished by adding the cell type information to a set of information to be signaled to the second base station, and then signalling the set of information to the second base station.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in a first radio base station serving a first cell in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 generating information that indicates a cell type of the first cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the first cell, a hierarchical level of the first cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the first cell is closed; and 
 signaling said information from the first radio base station to a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell; and 
 wherein said signaling comprises signaling said information during a procedure for setting up or configuring a connection between the first and second radio base stations or between the first radio base station and a node in a core network. 
 
     
     
       2. A method in a radio base station serving a first cell that neighbors both a second cell and a third cell in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 generating at the radio base station information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 signaling said information to another radio base station that serves the third cell; and 
 wherein said signaling comprises signaling said information during a procedure for setting up or configuring a connection between said radio base station and said another radio base station or between said radio base station and a node in a core network. 
 
     
     
       3. A method in a first radio base station serving a first cell in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell, information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 determining the cell type of the second cell from said received information, rather than from any statistical information associated with handovers of individual mobile terminals; and 
 wherein said received information being information during a procedure for setting up or configuring a connection between said radio base station and said another radio base station or between said radio base station and a node in a core network. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising directing between which cells in the system a specific mobile terminal hands over, based on the determined cell type. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising performing, based on the determined cell type, at least one of inter-cell load balancing, inter-cell interference coordination, mobility control, and physical cell identity allocation or selection. 
     
     
       6. A first radio base station configured to serve a first cell in a wireless communication system, the first radio base station comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured for communication with one or more mobile stations; and 
 one or more processing circuits configured to:
 generate information that indicates a cell type of the first cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the first cell, a hierarchical level of the first cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the first cell is closed; and 
 signal said information from the first radio base station, via the radio transceiver circuitry, 
 to a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell; and 
 wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to signal said information during a procedure for setting up or configuring a connection between the first and second radio base stations or between the first radio base station and a node in a core network. 
 
 
     
     
       7. A radio base station serving a first cell that neighbors both a second cell and a third cell in a wireless communication system, the radio base station comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured for communication with one or more mobile stations; and 
 one or more processing circuits configured to:
 generate information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 signal said information via the radio transceiver circuitry to another radio base station that serves the third cell; and 
 wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to signal said information during a procedure for setting up or configuring a connection between said radio base station and said another radio base station or between said radio base station and a node in a core network. 
 
 
     
     
       8. A radio base station serving a first cell in a wireless communication system, the radio base station comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured for communication with one or more mobile stations; and 
 one or more processing circuits configured to:
 receive, via the radio transceiver circuitry and from a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell, information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 determine the cell type of the second cell from said received information, rather than from any statistical information associated with handovers of individual mobile terminals; and 
 wherein said received information being information during a procedure for setting up or configuring a connection between said radio base station and said another radio base station or between said radio base station and a node in a core network. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The radio base station of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to direct between which cells in the system a specific mobile terminal hands over, based on the determined cell type. 
     
     
       10. The radio base station of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to perform, based on the determined cell type, at least one of inter-cell load balancing, intercell interference coordination, mobility control, and physical cell identity allocation or selection. 
     
     
       11. A method in a first radio base station serving a first cell in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 generating information that indicates a cell type of the first cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the first cell, a hierarchical level of the first cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the first cell is closed; and 
 signaling said information from the first radio base station to a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell; and 
 wherein said signaling comprises signaling said information using an X2 Setup procedure, an S1 Setup procedure, and/or an eNS Configuration Update procedure. 
 
     
     
       12. A method in a radio base station serving a first cell that neighbors both a second cell and a third cell in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 generating at the radio base station information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 signaling said information to another radio base station that serves the third cell; and 
 wherein said signaling comprises signaling said information using an X2 Setup procedure, an S1 Setup procedure, and/or an eNS Configuration Update procedure. 
 
     
     
       13. A method in a first radio base station serving a first cell in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell, information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 determining the cell type of the second cell from said received information, rather than from any statistical information associated with handovers of individual mobile terminals; and 
 wherein said received information comprising information using an X2 Setup procedure, an S1 Setup procedure, and/or an eNS Configuration Update procedure. 
 
     
     
       14. A first radio base station configured to serve a first cell in a wireless communication system, the first radio base station comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured for communication with one or more mobile stations; and 
 one or more processing circuits configured to:
 generate information that indicates a cell type of the first cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the first cell, a hierarchical level of the first cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the first cell is closed; and 
 signal said information from the first radio base station, via the radio transceiver circuitry, 
 to a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell; and 
 wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to signal said information using an X2 Setup procedure, an S1 Setup procedure, and/or an eNS Configuration Update procedure. 
 
 
     
     
       15. A radio base station serving a first cell that neighbors both a second cell and a third cell in a wireless communication system, the radio base station comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured for communication with one or more mobile stations; and 
 one or more processing circuits configured to:
 generate information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 signal said information via the radio transceiver circuitry to another radio base station that serves the third cell; and 
 wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to signal said information using an X2 Setup procedure, an S1 Setup procedure, and/or an eNS Configuration Update procedure. 
 
 
     
     
       16. A radio base station serving a first cell in a wireless communication system, the radio base station comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured for communication with one or more mobile stations; and 
 one or more processing circuits configured to:
 receive, via the radio transceiver circuitry and from a second radio base station that serves a second cell neighboring the first cell, information that indicates a cell type of the second cell explicitly in terms of a geographical size of the second cell, a hierarchical level of the second cell, and/or an extent to which a group of subscribers serviceable by the second cell is closed; and 
 determine the cell type of the second cell from said received information, rather than from any statistical information associated with handovers of individual mobile terminals; and 
 wherein said received information configured to signal said information using an X2 Setup procedure, an S1 Setup procedure, and/or an eNS Configuration Update procedure.